Japanese rescue workers search for survivors in the coastal city of Atomic, a large landslide. The temporary number is still two dead and twenty missing
Two people have been confirmed dead in a landslide at Adami Spa in central Japan on Saturday. At least ten people have been rescued, and 20 are still missing.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suka called on the rescuers to “do all they can” in their operations. He estimated that about 130 houses and buildings may have been damaged in Atami.
After several days of heavy rain, mudslides have swept across a portion of the city after clearing houses on the hillside and turning residential areas into graves.
Thousands rescued
On Sunday, dark water flooded the last half-buried vehicles and destroyed buildings, tearing them from their foundations. An air conditioner was hung from the house in the disaster, and now dirt and debris have accumulated.
“We started the rescue operation early this morning with 1,000 survivors, including 140 soldiers,” a department official said: “We are doing everything we can to find the survivors, but we are taking careful measures as the rain continues to fall.”
A few hours later, public broadcaster NHK reported that the search had been suspended due to heavy rain.
These are expected to continue for several days in a part of Japan, the Meteorological Agency warned of floods and landslides on Sunday.
It rains for more than a year in 48 hours
The area of Atom, 90 km southwest of Tokyo, received 313 mm of rain in 48 hours on Fridays and Saturdays, while the NHK said it averaged 242 mm each year throughout July.
Much of Japan is currently in the middle of the rainy season, which often causes floods and landslides, prompting local authorities to issue evacuation orders.
Scientists say the phenomenon is exacerbated by climate change as the warmer climate contains more water, which increases the risk and intensity of heavy rainfall.
Expect landslides
Togo Moriwaki, a professor of geotechnical engineering at the Hiroshima Institute of Technology, said early evacuation was important to save lives because it was difficult to predict when and where a landslide would occur. “Even if it stops raining, landslides can occur in one place. Residents and rescuers need to be vigilant for now. ”
According to the NHK, heavy rains caused landslides in at least eight places in Japan.
About 2,800 houses in Adami were without electricity, and survivors were relocated to shelters. Anti-Govt security measures were in place: survivors wore masks and were kept at good distances from each other.
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